Coccinellid fauna of Chitgar Park and determination of dominant species

Field survey of coccinellid fauna was carried out in Chitgar Park from 2010 to 2011.External morphology of adult coccinellids and male and female genitalia were used for identification. For evaluating correlation between densities of coccinellid species with plant types and site altitudes, sampling were done on three different types of plants (weeds, conifers and broadleaves) in three sites elevation (1150-1250, 1251-1350 and 1351-1450 m.). In the course of study sixteen ladybeetle species of four subfamilies were collected in Chitgar Park. 1) Coccinellinae: Hippodamia variegata., Coccinella septempunctata, Coccinella undecimpunctata, Oenopia conglobata, Adalia bipunctata, and Propylaea quatuordecimpunctata. 2) Chilocorinae: Chilocorus bipustulatus, Exochomus nigripennis, Exochomus nigromaculatus, Exochomus flavipes, Exochomus quadripustulatus, Exochomus sp. 3) Scymninae: Scymnus (Pulus) sp., Stethorus gilvifrons,.4) Sticholotidinae: Nipus plunatus and Pharoscymnus ovoideus. All collected specimens are predators of insect pests include aphids, scales, mites and defoliator beetles larvae. Of all collected cccinelids, Oenopia conglobata had the highest occurrences in year-round collection with 34.1 percentages and accounted as dominant species. The figures for this species in summer, autumn and winter seasons of 2010 were 49, 22 and 84 percent of all collected specimens. Population density of seven spotted lady beetle; Coccinella septempunctata was 33 percent in the spring of the same year.